OSA News

ADMINISTRATION, CONGRESS RECOGNIZE IMPORTANCE OF PHOTONICS IN TRANSPORTATION BILL

“ Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users ,” HR 3, Identifies Photonics in Definition of Intelligent Transportation System

August 17, 2005 (Washington, DC) — In a milestone achievement for the optics and photonics community, on August 10, President Bush signed into law the “Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users ,” also known as HR 3, which contained a specific reference to photonics in its definition of an Intelligent Transportation System.

In section 5310, subsection (3) of the bill, Intelligent Transportation System is defined as “electronics, photonics , communications or information processing used singly or in combination to improve the efficiency or safety of a surface transportation system.” Senator Christopher “Kit” Bond (R-MO), Senator James Inhofe (R-OK) and Representative Bill Shuster (R-PA) were conferees on this bill and were largely responsible for the word's insertion which will keep photonics at the forefront of federal policy .

“OSA is thrilled to see that photonics has made it into the definition of Intelligent Transportation System. Congress and the Administration clearly recognize the importance of the contributions of optics and photonics to transportation needs,” stated Elizabeth A. Rogan, executive director of the Optical Society of America. “I would like to publicly thank Senator Bond, Senator Inhofe and Congressman Shuster for their visionary thinking and efforts to include photonics in this legislation.”

About OSA

The Optical Society of America (OSA) brings together an international network of the industry's preeminent optics and photonics scientists, engineers, educators, technicians and business leaders. Representing more than 15,000 members from approximately 100 different countries, OSA promotes the worldwide generation, application and dissemination of optics and photonics knowledge through its meetings, events and journals. Since its founding in 1916, OSA member benefits, programming, publications, products and services have set the industry's standard of excellence. Additional information on OSA is available on the Society's Web site at www.osa.org . OSA is proud to be a part of the World Year of Physics, a celebration of physics and the 100 th anniversary of some of Einstein's greatest achievements. Optics is the branch of physics that studies the properties of light. For additional information on World Year of Physics, visit www.physics2005.org .

# # #